Managing medicines safely, effectively and efficiently is central to the delivery of high-quality care that is focused on the patient and gives value for money.
Clinical pharmacy
Introduction
Managing medicines
safely, effectively and efficiently is central to the delivery of high-quality
care that is focused on the patient and gives value for money. Over the past
two decades, growing evidence from within and outside the UK has demonstrated
the positive impact of clinical pharmacy services on patient outcomes; the
Department of Health recognised that pharmacists’ clinical skills and expertise
are an integral part of delivering better services to patients in the 2008
pharmacy White Paper, and reinforced this in 2010, identifying their role in
optimising the use of medicines. Examples include reductions in medication-related
adverse events, lower treatment costs, better patient outcomes, reduced length
of stay and reduced readmission rates.
However, simply
attempting to develop and implement best practice as opportunities permit is
becoming increasingly unacceptable as the regulatory framework surrounding
medicines management becomes more demanding. In addition to working towards
delivery of numerous national recommenda-tions, hospitals are also now required
to register with the Care Quality Commission and meet the medicines management
standards detailed in its essential standards of quality and safety (see
Chapter 1). The standards detail regulations, outcomes and prompts to protect
patients against the risks asso-ciated with the unsafe use and management of
medicines, in accordance with regulation 13 of the Health and Social Care Act
2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010. Compliance with the standards can
only be achieved with the delivery of high-quality clinical pharmacy services.
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